Zeus' Dice
by Batman Lamp-Writer
Summary: AU. Two years, almost to the day, after the Great Amity Park Tragedy finds Danny Fenton, orphaned and alone, being handed over to his newest foster parent. But, unlike the others, this foster has a secret that could bring Danny back into the hero business. Because, unlike the others, this foster is a hero himself: He is Batman.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: ...I'm a horrible, horrible person with no attention span. ...And obsessed with angst and Batman right now. Thus, this. Also, this past week was add/drop at college. I have never been so stressed out in my life trying to decide whether to keep or drop a class…. I have literally been sick to my stomach.

The Batman portion of this sort of blends together all my knowledge of Batman, so basically, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne all exist and have been Robin/Batgirl/Spoiler/etc. I state this now, because it's highly likely they will show up or be mentioned. Damian is currently at Wayne Manor, so he'll be in this as much as Bruce and Alfred.

I will say right now, Danny's true/full backstory won't come out for a _long_ time in this. Feel free to guess all you'd like. I really wanna know what you guys can come up with :D Any and all speculations made on how Danny's ghost mode would develop is my own personal opinion, and slowly developing into a personal canon of how ghosts in general work. Frankly, I'm having a lot of fun with that, and my co-author on this is a good sounding board/skeptic for me to bounce ideas off of. A good portion of these ideas will turn up in other stories of mine.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

**_The Dice of Zeus Always Fall Luckily._**

Amity Park, Colorado, was generally and widely known as "A Nice Place to Live!" And in a world constantly attacked by monsters, aliens, and supervillains, that was a rather impressive claim. Of course, Amity Parkers still had to deal with the daily ghost attacks, but other than one or two actual invasions, said ghosts were normally taken care of by the resident specter, Phantom, before they were that noticeable. In fact, in the hundred-odd years since it was founded, Amity Park boasted the lowest disaster and crime rate in the nation for the vast majority of them.

Or, they did, until the Tragedy of 2012. Within just a week, the population was halved. Citizens fled, not even bothering to pack before running for the next town's borders. The school was closed down, pending an investigation. The few who remained in the town found themselves haunted by the memories of the hundreds of deaths.

There were widows. There were grieving parents. There were orphans.

And among them was Danny Fenton. In all the chaos and destruction of the Tragedy, he found his whole life flipped upside-down. Gone were his parents, gone was his sister, gone were his friends. His teachers, his classmates, his neighbors, all gone.

In one week, Amity Park went from haunted to ghost town.

And Danny blamed himself. If he were only faster, if he were only there, if he only knew.

Of course, everyone he spoke to tried to convince him otherwise. The police, when they rescued him from the fire, the social services agent, Amika Ouwa, as she tried to place him in a foster home, even the ghosts, who made a deal with him to protect Amity in his stead so this didn't happen again.

He was still shocked at that. The Tragedy was actually _so bad_ the ghosts _came to him_, _offering_ to take over his role as town protector, and all they asked in return was protection from the Guys in White.

But even though his town was safe didn't mean _he_ was.

His first problem came in the form of Amika Ouwa. The small, Asian woman certainly didn't _seem_ like trouble, but she was far too probing for Danny's liking. There were all kinds of questions he couldn't answer if he wanted to keep his identity secret, so instead, he dodged everything she asked, generally coming off as rude when she tried to talk with him.

The second problem was somewhat tied to the first. It more had to do with _why_ Danny was going into foster care, though, seeing as there was an adoption offer immediately upon discovering Danny's survival. The issue wasn't so much that Danny didn't _want_ to be adopted as it was he didn't want to be adopted by _him_.

Because the offer had come from none other than Vlad Masters. As soon as he heard that name in connection with adoption, Danny told Amika, in no uncertain terms, that it _would _**_never_**_ happen._

Thus, the third problem. In the past two years, Danny had been in and out of no fewer than fifty foster homes, each one worse than the last. Every time he found out about his new family's secret stash or side job or hobby, Danny would call up Amika, who would then pull him out as quick as possible before alerting whatever authorities necessary. There were about twenty people behind bars all because of Danny.

And because of that, there was now a fourth problem: Amika was running low on possible foster families for Danny. Of course, Danny himself just shrugged it off, perfectly content to live on his own or stay with Amika as he did when between fosters, but Amika was determined to find him a new home. As such, they'd come down to Amika's last option.

Gotham's own Bruce Wayne.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

Alfred Pennyworth sat in a pitch black limousine right outside the Gotham City Airport. Of course, the lane he was in was not necessarily to be used for parking, as eccentric billionaire Bruce Wayne's personal butler, he _did_ get a few perks.

But not even being Wayne's butler could make the airplanes actually arrive on time.

Alfred sighed, checking his watch once more. "I suppose the airlines are as _punctual_ as ever…." He flicked through a newspaper, glancing over all the articles on the lowering crime rate, along with those on the various villain attacks and subsequent vanquishings via caped crusader. "Well, some things never change…."

A distinct beeping broke the relative silence of the car, and Alfred picked up his cell phone, flipping it open. "Hello?"

_"Hi," _a female voice murmured over the line, sounding slightly unnerved, _"um, is this, um, Mr. Pennyworth?"_

Alfred smiled, realizing this was the call he'd been waiting for. "Indeed it is. And, I presume, this is Ms. Ouwa?"

_"Ah, yes, sir!"_ The woman was obviously frazzled, and Alfred was starting to hear a commotion over the phone. _"We just got off the plane, and—"_ A crash echoed over the line, followed by some grumbling and a staticy noise that was the woman muffling the speaker. _"Pick it up, don't just leave it there!"_ The muffle was lifted, and her voice was stronger now. _"—and we're grabbing our luggage now. We should be outside in a minute or two."_

He chuckled. "No worries, madam. I'm parked right out front. See you in a jiffy!"

_"Thanks, we'll—"_ This time, she didn't bother to muffle the phone. _"I DON'T CARE IF HE KICKED YOUR CHAIR ON THE FLIGHT, GIVE HIM BACK HIS TEDDY BEAR OR I'LL—!"_

The phone clicked off, and Alfred blinked down at it. "Seems like an… interesting flight."

He only had to wait a few moments for a harried-looking, tiny Asian woman to come out of the airport, tugging along a huge rolling suitcase and a darkly-dressed teen behind her. The woman smiled at him, but the teen simply scowled, black hair hiding one of his two blue eyes from view. "Hello, you must be Mr. Pennyworth?"

Alfred opened the door for them, noticing as he did that the woman in the skirt suit had released the boy, who folded his arms over his chest, blocking the bright blue image on his black shirt (魂). Shaking his head, Alfred refocused on the situation at hand, turning to Ouwa. "That would be me, madam." He popped open the trunk, holding out a hand. "Let me take care of the heavy lifting, if you please."

She blinked, then handed over her bag with a nod. "Ah, _arigatou_. Um, is Mr. Wayne here, or are we meeting him somewhere else?"

"Oh, no, madam," Alfred replied as he loaded and closed the trunk, "he is… preoccupied at the moment. And…" he paused, trying to remember the correct term, "_dou itashimashite._"

Ouwa grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I still tend to slip every so often. So, where shall we be meeting—?" She cut herself off, having noticed the boy trying to sneak away and grabbing him by the ear with a hissed, "I was _not_ joking about getting a collar and leash for you." Then, she turned back to Alfred, grinning. "—Mr. Wayne?"

Alfred smiled back, gesturing for them to head into the car. "I'm to take you to the Manor. Master Wayne should be meeting us there shortly."

Ouwa gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth." Then she turned a slight glare on the boy. "Go on in, Danny."

He grumbled, but did so, obviously not wanting to risk receiving the collar and leash he'd been threatened with. Amika Ouwa followed him in, and Alfred shut the door behind them before getting in and pulling away from the airport. "I trust your travels haven't been _too_ exciting?"

Danny refused to answer in anything other than grumbles. Amika, however, slapped the back of his head before grinning at Alfred. "No, not at all. We're more just hoping we'll be here a bit longer than we've been in most recently."

The teen scoffed, turning to stare out the window.

Alfred nodded. "I see. Well, if you don't mind my asking, how did you come across young Master Fenton?"

Amika glanced over at the boy before replying. "I was hired onto the Amity Park Social Services staff about two and a half years ago. I was in town for… uh, the Tragedy. Most others had left, so I took Danny's case."

Alfred glanced back at them through the rearview mirror. "I see. And how was the flight, Master Fenton?"

Danny glared back at him, also through the mirror. "Shitty."

Amika slapped the back of his head again with a reprimand of, "Language, Daniel."

"English, Ouwa," he shot back.

Alfred just smiled, trying to calm the two. "Not to worry. I understand Master Fenton's had some… interesting experiences thus far. I can only hope that his stay here in Gotham is a bit more peaceful."

The teen snorted at that. "Gotham, _peaceful?_ Yeah, right."

Ouwa seemed to be fighting not to scowl at him. "Be polite, Danny. We are here as guests, so be respectful."

"I appreciate your politeness, Ms. Ouwa," Alfred replied with his ever-present smile, "but Master Fenton's perspective _is_ understandable. It isn't exactly a _utopia_ but, then, what _is_ these days?"

Apparently, this was as much conversation as Danny could take. He turned away, glaring out the window again and steadfastly ignoring the other two.

Ouwa glanced at him sadly before focusing on Alfred again. "Yes, I'm afraid we know that all too well."

"I understand," Alfred said simply. "I must admit, I _am_ curious, though. What actually made Gotham the choice for this young man at this particular time?"

The social worker didn't seem to be expecting that question. She blinked for a moment at the butler, then responded. "Ah, I have a friend here. She's the one who suggested that Mr. Wayne might be willing to foster Danny for a while until a permanent home may be found."

Alfred smiled once more as he pulled into the manor's driveway. "I see. Here we are!"

Ouwa gaped at the mansion, but Danny didn't seem to react at all. "Well," Ouwa mumbled, obviously still in shock, "she, ah, she mentioned Mr. Wayne was well off, but I believe she downplayed…."

The butler chuckled at her reaction. "Yes, I know it is a bit… breath-taking at first." Then, he smirked. "I am also familiar with Ms. Meridian and how she chooses her words."

She blushed but grinned. "Ah, intelligent as well." Then she opened the door to the car, pushing Danny out before her. "Come on, we must go say hello to Mr. Wayne."

By the time they'd exited the car, Alfred was in front of them again. "No need to rush, madam," he replied. "Master Wayne is never one for haste. Especially regarding a first encounter."

Ouwa smiled thinly, tersely answering, "Yes, well, while I'm sure that's true, I'd much rather head in and get this over with." She rolled her eyes. "If only because Danny's patience was already wearing thin _before_ we got _on_ the plane…."

Danny glared back at her. "Oh, yeah, like _you_ weren't the one who nearly tore a guy's head off for reclining his seat far enough back that you couldn't move…."

And the blush was back full force. "Th—That's _completely_ unrelated!"

As Danny rolled his eyes, Alfred blinked at the two. "Yes… well… I suppose we _should_ get inside, then." He bowed politely, gesturing towards the door. "After you two."

Ouwa nodded. "Thank you." And she led the way in, Danny trudging after her, hands stuffed in his pockets and scowling.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

Danny was _not_ in awe of Wayne Manor, he was _not _looking forward to meeting the billionaire, and he most _certainly_ was _not_ happy to be moving in. In fact, he wanted nothing more than for Amika to quit and to be shipped off back to Amity Park. It physically _hurt_ to be so far from the town he was born (and half-died) in, and he desperately wished to be back there, even going so far as to debate stating said wish in front of Desiree.

Almost as soon as he had that thought, he shook it out of his head. Nothing was worth risking _her_ messing with his wish. He'd probably end up in a burnt-out building if he did that.

Danny rolled his eyes at some stupid comment Amika made, still following her through the large entranceway.

"Now, I've already fixed up the guest room upstairs," the butler, what'shisname, was saying, "whenever Master Fenton is ready."

Amika was grinning. "Wonderful!" She turned back to Danny, happily saying, "Isn't this _great_, Danny? You're going to _love_ it here!"

Okay, he couldn't help himself. An eyebrow quirked up at that. "Isn't that what you said about the place in Seattle?"

She immediately knew what he meant, blushing brightly. "Th—That was _not_ my fault, and you _know_ it!"

He rolled his eyes once more. "The fosters _sold cocaine out of their garage._"

"...And we haven't had that problem since then," Amika said, as though that made everything magically better.

The butler was saying something again. "...I see you've had some… interesting living spaces over the years, Master Fenton. Nevertheless, I _do_ hope your stay at Wayne Manor will be a bit more… normal."

Danny couldn't help but roll his eyes yet again. "Yeah, 'cause it's _so normal_ here in 'Wayne Manor.'"

And now Amika had her hands on her hips, a toe tapping. "Daniel Fenton, be polite!"

He glared back at her. "I'll be rude all I want, I think I deserve it after all the _crap_ I've been through over the past two years!" And he stormed away, pleased to finally be away from the prying eyes. As he walked away, he tugged out one of the few things he'd kept with him, a switchblade with a curved blade. He smiled down at it, flicking it open and starting to flip it.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

A blushing Amika turned back to Alfred. "I—I'm sorry about that," she stuttered. "H—He's—Well, as he said, he's… been through a lot…."

Alfred just nodded. "No worries. I think I understand somewhat where he's coming from."

Amika's brow furrowed at that. "Oh? How so?"

For a moment, the butler hesitated. Then, "Well… let's just say this house has had its share of… hard times."

The social worker realized then that the man was referring to the tragedy in Bruce Wayne's own past. As a young boy, the future billionaire had watched his parents be shot dead before him. It didn't take much to draw the connection between the two.

"I… see." She glanced in the direction her ward had gone. "Any idea when Mr. Wayne will arrive? I'm a bit worried, what with the state he's in, that Danny will, um, be a bit _rough_ on the house…."

Alfred blinked at her, then chuckled. "Not to worry, madam. I don't think there's too much the young man can get into around here."

Amika's eyelids dropped to half-mast. "Forgive me if I'm a bit more cynical about Danny's ability to find trouble."

A smile met her words. "Of course. We each have our own perspectives. However, this is _certainly_ not my first time dealing with a curious youth."

She nodded, knowing he had practically raised the billionaire-to-be from birth. "I suppose so. So, what shall we do until Mr. Wayne arrives?"

The answer came from the balcony overlooking them. "Whatever you like, Ms. Ouwa."

Amika jumped before glancing up to see Bruce Wayne walking leisurely down a grand staircase. "Oh, my! Oh, hello, you must be Mr. Wayne!" She felt stupid for the statement, but politeness demanded she make sure he actually was Wayne before addressing him as such.

Bruce seemed to realize this and gave her a half-grin. "That I am." He came up next to her, pressing a very brief kiss to the back of her hand. "Please forgive me for startling you. I never truly realize how… unsettling my entrances can be at times."

She was blushing again, she knew it, but once he released her hand, she was able to regain her composure. "Oh, it's no trouble at all! I just, um, well, I suppose I should apologize as well, seeing as Danny's run off to who-knows-where."

Bruce's brows went up as he glanced at Alfred. "Oh? And which way did he run off _to?_"

"To the kitchen, sir," was the prompt reply.

"I see. Well, I doubt there's much mischief he can cause in _there_, but to be safe…." He gestured towards the kitchen, Alfred heading through first.

Amika blinked, then followed the two into the kitchen, where Danny sat in a corner, tossing his switchblade from hand to hand. She frowned, her hands once more finding their way to her hips. "Daniel James Fenton, I thought I told you to throw that thing out!"

He didn't even acknowledge the use of his full name. "Yeah, you did."

"Then _why_ do you still _have it?_"

He shrugged, not even pausing as he juggled the blade. "'Cause I didn't toss it out."

Bruce chuckled. "It's fine. Is that a Hawk or a Scarab?"

For a moment, Danny just stared down Bruce, then turned back to his knife, continuing to toss it. "…'S a Hawk."

The billionaire nodded. "Nice choice."

Danny didn't acknowledge that, either, instead beginning to throw the knife in the air, plucking it back when it got close, blade still out and causing the knife to spin wildly.

Amika's eyes went wide. She could just _see_ him miss, the blade sinking down into his skin— "Danny! Put that away before you hurt someone!" Namely, himself.

He rolled his eyes, continuing to play with the blade.

Bruce didn't seem concerned at all. In fact, he was watching closely as the knife went up, spun, then fell back down, only to be caught and sent back up again. "Actually," he said after having studied the boy for a moment, "I think he's quite skilled at knife-throwing."

Alfred was on the same page as Amika, obviously unnerved by the feat. "If you say so, sir." Then he turned to the social worker. "Will you be staying for dinner, madam?"

Amika blinked, then realized what she'd been asked. "Oh, um, no, I really should be getting to the hotel." She bowed slightly to the two who were taking in her charge. "Thank you for taking Danny in, and please keep me informed should anything happen. Danny has my number as well, should he feel the need to reach me."

Bruce smiled over at her. "There's not much need to stand on ceremony, Amika, was it?"

"Oh, um, yes," she stuttered, blushing a bit at the mention of her bowing, "and it's really more just habit, sorry."

"I understand completely, and did not mean any offense." The billionaire was still grinning, and no wonder he was a playboy with a smile like that. "You'll come to find, the more you're around us, that I try to be more casual than most people seem to think given my… surroundings."

Now Amika smiled back. "Well, that's good to know. Thank you for telling me. But I really _should_ be going now." She turned to Danny, adding, "Feel free to call if you need anything."

He just grunted, not pausing in his knife throwing.

She sighed, turning once more to Bruce. "The same goes for you, too, Mr. Wayne. I will check in again tomorrow. Good-bye."

Bruce bowed, smiling at her still. "_Sayonara,_ Amika-san."

She hurried out the door, trying to hide her blush.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

Once she was gone, Danny stowed his knife, stretching out like a cat before standing. He stared at the two men for a moment, then mumbled, "...You mentioned a room?"

Alfred nodded, motioning towards the stairs. "Of course, sir. If you'll follow me…?"

Danny shoved his hands into his pockets again, but followed the butler.

"I _do_ hope you'll enjoy your stay here, Master Fenton. I understand you've had some… interesting experiences in the past, but I think this will be a nice… respite for you."

Danny snorted at that. "Yeah, enjoy your stay in the world's most dangerous city. Awesome."

Alfred tried not to show that he was hesitating. "...I admit, the area may not be heaven, but… if I may say, it has its compensations."

One of Danny's eyebrows quirked up at that. "Like what, a nice selection of fast food joints to get mugged at?"

A door in front of them was thrown open, a rather annoyed young ten-year-old staring out from the doorway, his arms crossed. He had black hair and blue eyes just like Wayne, so Danny immediately made the connection that there was a son Amika hadn't known about. "Alfred, what is the meaning of this racket?"

The butler sighed. "My apologies, Master Wayne. We have a new resident to the Manor, and—"

"And he can speak for himself," Danny interrupted, arms crossed over his chest.

The kid scowled at him. "Father did not mention a new resident to me."

Alfred glanced between the two, obviously trying to avoid conflict. "I… suppose he thought you could find out in your own time. You'll have to discuss it with him, if you want details."

The scowl just deepened. "I suppose I will." Then the kid turned and studied Danny, who rolled his eyes. "So, who is this new resident?"

Another nervous glance from Alfred raked over the two. "Do you wish to introduce yourself, sir?"

Danny shrugged. "Nah. I don't like little brats like him." He turned, ignoring whatever reaction the kid had, instead thumbing down the hallway. "My room's this way, right?"

The kid was scowling at his back. He could feel the glare trying to burn a hole through his back. "I am _not_ a brat!"

Alfred nodded, rushing ahead to lead the teen. "Right this way, Master Fenton."

Danny followed, waving over his shoulder without glancing back. "Night, kiddo."

And angry grumbling chased them down the hall.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

A/N: Okay. That's probably going to be the average chapter length for this. Tell me what you thought, and any guesses on what "the Tragedy" is! I wanna hear/read your thoughts! Read and review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, so I started work on this chapter pretty much as soon as I posted the first chapter, just to give you an idea of how little time I've had this past semester. Also, to those who've wondered about why I update certain stories rather than others, the answer's fairly simple. I write a little bit for each story each time I write. As such, those that are longer or need to be reformatted take a bit longer (thus the long pause between chapters of this, _The Narrow Road_, and _Living with the Chills_). I also took a hiatus through November for all but my entry for NaNoWriMo, which will also be finished, hopefully soon (classes have stolen away my creativity….). Lastly, I'm ADD, so focusing on a single story isn't easy for me. I constantly have about five stories going at once, and about a thousand that never got posted in the first place. I'm honestly trying to get everything out in a timely fashion, but school, work, and personal life sometimes get in the way of that. If I ever do need to stop writing a story, I'll make sure to let my followers know.

If you ever want to get an idea of when I'll be updating, I now have a Twitter account specifically for this purpose. It's ElphieBLW.

Also, thank you guys so much for all the reviews, faves, and follows! I try to respond to every review I can, but admittedly some I either can't or get misplaced before I get to them. But know that I do read them all, and I'm glad to hear that so many people are interested in this story!

Remember to still send in your guesses on the Tragedy. I wanna hear what you think happened! And keep in mind, I'm trying to go against some common plotlines in this story, so I can say that it's not TUE's tragedy. ;)

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

_**Most gods throw dice, but Fate plays chess, and you don't find out 'til too late that he's been playing with two queens all along.**_

The next morning found Bruce heading down into the kitchen to see Alfred mixing up some oatmeal. Alfred smiled at the billionaire. "Good morning, Master Wayne."

Bruce grinned back. "Morning Alfred." He was handed a coffee cup and sat to wait for the meal to be ready, pulling open a newspaper. "So, what can you tell me about our new addition, since I didn't have time to ask last night?"

Alfred hesitated, but only for a moment. "...Not much, to be honest, sir. It appears he was brought here due to a friendship between Miss Ouwa and Miss Meridian."

One of Bruce's eyebrows jumped up at that. "Oh? Well, I suppose we'll see how it turns out."

"Quite…."

Now both Bruce's eyebrows met his hairline. "Something wrong?" he asked, looking up at his long-time friend.

"...Actually, sir," Alfred began, seeming to be trying not to bite his lip, "what I _have_ gleaned about Master Fenton seems to have… struck a nerve."

Bruce frowned in concentration, trying to figure out what exactly was meant. "...Go on."

Alfred reddened slightly. "It's nothing _terrible_, just that… well… a certain event in _his_ past seems to have some correlation to—"

Bruce went back to his paper, mumbling, "I see."

Alfred lowered his head. "My apologies, sir."

Without looking up from his paper, Bruce stated, "No matter, Alfred. I asked."

As he poured the oatmeal out into four bowls, Alfred nodded. "Very well, sir. I should mention, though… it seems as though some of his previous residences were… less than legal in their activities…."

Bruce smirked behind his paper, having been waiting for this to come up. "Are you referring to the coke plant found in his placement in Washington?"

Alfred really shouldn't still be surprised by the things Bruce just _knew_. "Exactly, sir."

The billionaire nodded. "Well, I wouldn't hold that against him. I think he's quite resilient."

A smile spread across Alfred's face once more as he added apple slices and cinnamon into the bowls. "Precisely, sir. He should fit _right_ in here."

As the time ticked on, Bruce continued to read and sip at his coffee while Alfred added the finishing touches to breakfast. Finally, Bruce spoke back up. "Daniel will probably be sleeping in a bit today."

Alfred smiled back. "Of course, sir. I'll make a setting and leave it by his door, then." He put word to deed, then placed a bowl before Bruce.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said with a grin before starting in on his oatmeal.

Alfred picked up the tray as he replied, "My pleasure as always, sir." Then he headed towards the stairs, dodging past Damian on the way.

The boy walked into the kitchen, a brow still raised from Alfred's unusually absent behavior.

Bruce smiled at the boy's confusion. "Sleep well, Damian?"

Damian frowned. "I did, but I believe the petulant child you have allowed in did not."

Now, Bruce paused as he thought that through. "Is that so?"

The boy nodded. "I heard noises from the room he is borrowing."

Bruce folded his paper, laying it on the table and steepling his fingers. "Well, it _is_ a new place to him. I doubt it's anything to be concerned with."

But Damian's frown just deepened. "He yelled several times."

The billionaire thought that over for a moment. "I see…." Then he shook his head, grinning slightly at Damian. "Well, he's probably experiencing some nightmares. Not all that uncommon, you understand."

Finally the boy's expression changed, even if it was just going from a frown to a scowl. "Why is he here?" he demanded.

Bruce smirked at his son's slightly whiney tone, remembering that he hadn't exactly gotten used to normal life yet. The League of Shadows may have created a brilliant assassin, but the boy definitely needed to work on his social skills. "I thought you would've surmised that by now," he replied, only slightly teasing. "He needs a place to stay."

Damian's scowl was getting steadily worse. "But _why_, Father? Can he not simply stay with someone related to him? Or is he like Grayson and has no living relatives?"

Though sometimes, the boy just rubbed him the wrong way. He turned a stern glare to his son, pushing back the thoughts of his own parents' death. "Because someone _else_ was in a similar situation not too long ago."

Knowing he'd overstepped his bounds, Damian pursed his lips, deciding to switch topics. "Is it not dangerous for him to stay here, given your 'night job'? How do you plan to keep him from finding out?"

Glad for the change in subject, Bruce softened some. "Damian, in my experience, a secret such as ours doesn't stay completely hidden from _anyone_ too long." He sighed, continuing, "I learned early on that the _real_ trick was controlling how it comes to light."

One of Damian's brows raised at that. "So you have contingencies for how to reveal this to him should the need arise?" Then he frowned once more. "Does Grayson know you plan on telling a stranger of your job?"

"Not at present." Bruce paused, thinking back over the day before and realizing he hadn't told any of his other wards the news. "Actually, I'm not sure if he even knows of Danny's existence. Ms. Meridian may have dropped some hints, but it hasn't come up between the two of us." He shook his head, attempting to get back on track. "As for Daniel, nothing's ever _guaranteed_. However, I believe the situation is under control, at least for the present."

"Then what do you plan to do with him while he's here?" Damian was steadfastly scowling again, and Bruce could imagine the problems that would occur from the two butting heads.

But instead of bringing that up, he grinned. "I believe I can keep him busy. As I stated, the trick isn't to try and change people, but rather to… redirect their energies. If someone is inquisitive, find things which you _want_ them to discover." Then, remembering the skill Danny displayed with his Hawk the night before, Bruce added, "I wonder how he is at using his hands…."

Damian frowned, brow furrowing at that. "Why would you wonder about that? Would you not want him to _avoid_ causing any trouble?"

Bruce chuckled. "Damian, please. As long as you have some more profitable activities, you can keep someone from the more… sensitive areas indefinitely. Surely you understand the possibilities of finding handiwork in a place such as _ours_."

"Then what do you propose to offer _the guest_ to do?" He sneered on those two words, obviously still upset that the teen was living with them.

The billionaire thought for a moment before coming to a decision. "I think our transportation area could use a good tune-up…."

Damian crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "...You want him to fix your cars?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Not unsupervised, of course, but yes. At least, see if he's interested." Then he smirked. "There are more… interesting ways to get to know someone than simple chit-chat."

The boy's nose wrinkled at that. "You actually _wish_ to get to know him?! He is nothing more than an arrogant child!"

Bruce's eyebrow jumped up. "Pot-kettle, yes?"

Damian's nose turned up into the air. "I am neither arrogant nor a child." Then he lowered his chin, grumbling, "...And he called me a brat…."

And Bruce couldn't help but laugh at that. "Damian, you continually forget. You're _barely_ ten years old. Physically, you're a child, even compared to _him_. He _may_ be arrogant, but I don't accept judgments based on ignorance from _anyone_. And if arrogance isn't it, what would you prefer? Naivety?"

Damian simply ignored that. "So when will you offer him the job of fixing your vehicles?"

Bruce grinned, knowing that the boy had no reply and enjoying that he could still trip him up. "Soon as he's ready. Speaking of which…."

Alfred reentered the room.

"How is our young friend?" Bruce asked the Englishman.

"Still asleep, I presume," came the reply. "I didn't hear a peep from the room."

Damian huffed, crossing his arms. "An improvement over last night."

One of Alfred's eyebrows quirked up. "Oh?"

Bruce sighed. "Damian's informed me of Daniel's… sleeping troubles."

For a moment, Alfred seemed confused, but a sad look quickly masked that as he caught on. "...Oh, my…."

"So, he is sleeping in?" Damian reiterated, scowling. "Tt. Is he truly _that_ lazy? It is already half nine!"

Now Bruce's brows rose. "He seems able to get more done in an hour than you could do in a day."

Alfred had to stifle his chuckle, but luckily, being the butler for the Dark Knight had prepared him for such a feat.

Damian's scowl just deepened. "What do you mean?"

"I can tell… enough from someone by observing certain tells they give off," Bruce explained, "whether or not they're even aware of it. The way he acted yesterday, particularly while he was handling that Hawk…."

Alfred nodded. "I noticed as much as well, sir."

Damian's brow rose. "I did not see him bring in an animal."

The butler cleared his throat, masking another laugh.

Bruce just smiled at his son. "It's a knife, Damian." He frowned good-naturedly at him. "I thought you were up to speed on your weapons identification."

Of course, Damian took the teasing as poorly as ever, fighting down an embarrassed blush. "I am! I did not realize you were speaking of—" But then, he realized what that meant. "_You allowed a stranger to bring in a weapon?!_"

The billionaire chuckled at that. "Deflection doesn't work so well on me, son. Maybe on your teachers, but _not_ here. And yes. If you think me defenseless without my suit, think again."

"I realize you are not defenseless," Damian spluttered angrily, "I merely did not think you'd be as reckless as Grayson!"

A sigh escaped Bruce at that. Damian never seemed to learn about what recklessness truly was. "Recklessness usually comes from inexperience on one or both sides of an issue. From all appearances, neither one was so in this one."

Damian scowled once more, then turned to storm away. "I will take my breakfast in my room."

"Very well, sir—"

Bruce cut Alfred off, deciding to try a little tough love to get the point across. "It'll be here when you're ready, Damian. You're _more_ than able to take it upstairs yourself."

Once more, Damian's scowl deepened, but he snagged his food and left the room.

Alfred and Bruce stared after him for a while before the former spoke. "...Sometimes I worry about that child…."

Bruce sighed. "I know."

The butler turned back to face the billionaire. "Shall I check on Master Fenton?"

"Don't worry yourself, Alfred. I'm sure he'll come around when he's ready."

Alfred smiled. "Very good, sir."

Bruce stood, making his own way out of the room. "If you see him, direct him to the garage."

"Of course, Master Wayne."

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

Danny peeked out of his room, glancing both ways down the hallway. He'd seen the small platter outside his door, but one look at the slices of fruit in what was probably supposed to be his breakfast had made him nauseous. Instead, he ducked out of the room upon finding the halls empty and headed for the stairs, keeping his hands in his pockets as he went. Once reaching the landing, he checked again for an audience before sneaking into the kitchen and grabbing a skillet and some eggs, placing them on or next to the stove and flicking the appliance on.

He didn't even hear Alfred enter. "Ah, Master Fenton. Good morning."

Danny had tensed upon hearing the voice, his grip on the skillet tightening in preparation to swing it, but he managed to force himself to relax. Instead, he grumbled, "Morning."

Alfred hadn't noticed the bludgeoning he'd avoided, rather focusing on the ingredients set out. "Was something wrong with the food I had prepared?"

Once again, that nausea threatened to overwhelm Danny, but he pushed it down as a slight blush dusted across his cheeks. Still, he didn't look away from what he was doing as he responded. "I, uh, can't eat apples. There were a few slices in the oatmeal you left out for me."

The butler gave a nod. "My apologies, sir."

Danny shrugged, cracking two eggs into the now-hot pan. "'Sfine. Not like you knew."

"Ah." There was a slight pause, as though the man didn't know what to say to keep the conversation going, and knowing that Danny wouldn't contribute if he didn't have to. "I trust your room was… acceptable?"

"Yeah," came Danny's terse reply as he tossed some cheese, veggies, and ham into his cooking eggs.

"Very good, sir." Another pause, another momentary debate on topics. "Master Wayne wishes you to join him in the garage, when you're ready."

Danny began flipping the omelet, one brow raised, but still not looking away from his meal. "Why?"

Alfred took the question to be a step forward. At least this was not just a yes or no answer. Perhaps the boy would actually participate in this conversation? "He likes to work on his toys, sir. If you're interested, he'd appreciate your assistance."

The teen grabbed out a plate, dumping his omelet on it before snagging a fork from a drawer. "He wants _me_ to help with one of his 'toys'?" he asked as he hopped up to sit on the counter, starting to dig into the omelet. "Sorry, dude," he mumbled around a bite of egg, "but I'm not fallin' for that one."

Alfred's brow furrowed some, not having expected to have stumbled backwards rather than forwards. "...I'm sorry?"

A slight glare fixed on him, and he was disappointed that such an angry look was the first eye contact he'd gotten from the boy. "I'm not falling for it. I might've a year ago, but not now. Tell him he can 'fix' his _own_ 'toys.'"

There was a moment of hesitation before Alfred slowly nodded. "Very good, sir—"

"That wasn't a pretense, Daniel," Bruce stated as he entered from the garage.

Danny's glare didn't lessen any. "Well, sorry, but I'm gonna go with what I've learned over the past two years rather than what you _say_ will happen."

Bruce wasn't fazed but the snarl. "Understandable. I meant no foreplay. If you're uninterested, no harm done. Should you change your mind sometime, the offer stands. One of the Rolls needs some special attention, but it can wait another day."

The teen glanced away, finishing the last few bites of his omelet before hopping off the table to wash the plate and skillet, refusing to meet their eyes.

Alfred came towards the stove, reaching out for the dishes. "Please, Master Fenton. I'll take care of the clean-up."

Danny dodged around the butler, blushing a bit due to the instinctive response. "I'd… rather do it myself, thanks."

A faint crease appeared in the Englishman's brow, no doubt from confusion, but he hid it well. "It's no trouble, really. But, if you insist…."

"I do," Danny stated immediately.

Another pause, then Alfred nodded. "Very well, sir. I believe I'll go check on the dogs." He headed out, leaving Bruce and Danny alone in the kitchen.

Danny stared after him for a moment, blinking slowly. "...Dogs?"

"Of course," Bruce responded. "Dobermans, Rottweilers. Part of the security measures. You understand."

Now, Danny turned to face the man. "You… have dogs here?"

Bruce blinked at the boy, unsure why he kept asking that. "...Yes, I do. They don't typically come in the house, but they _are_ close by."

For a moment, Danny felt the excitement build inside him before he could stamp it back down. Dogs! He'd always wanted one, and he knew from experience that animals naturally loved him thanks to his ghost form's protective and friendly aura. But he couldn't let this man know he was happy to hear of the dogs. "Oh. Okay."

Of course, Bruce being Bruce saw straight through the ruse, even if he didn't show it. "Would you like to meet them?"

Danny wanted to scream out _yes!_, but he couldn't show any form of weakness to these people. He'd learned that lesson well over the past two years. Instead, he shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

Bruce gestured towards the backyard. "After you."

The two walked out together in silence for a while. Then, Bruce tried once more to start a conversation. "So… have you had any experience with animals?"

"A little," was Danny's terse response.

"How are you at handling… energetics?" Bruce knew that the dogs could be overly excitable, but they were usually on their best behavior when he or Alfred were around. Still, it'd be best to make sure that Danny would be ready for whatever could happen.

"As in, hyper dogs?" Danny shrugged. "I can handle it fine."

A light chuckle escaped the billionaire. "Good to hear."

As they approached the kennel, they could hear the rabid eating of the dogs as they tore into whatever meal Alfred had brought them. "It appears they like bacon, Master Wayne!" the butler called as they entered.

Danny rolled his eyes, biting back a chuckle. "They're dogs, they'll usually like almost _anything_ they're given, _especially_ if it's meat."

Alfred smiled at the teen. "This is true. Though, these boys are _exceptionally_ energetic in _everything_. Helps when you have the occasional… unwelcome guest."

Danny heard all this, of course, but he still moved towards the cages, squatting just outside them and holding out a hand for the dogs to sniff at. After a moment of curious snuffling, they happily began licking at his hand, then the other when he added it, then up his arms and face.

Bruce and Alfred watched in silence for a while as the boy tried to fight back a grin as the dogs gathered around him. Finally, Bruce called out to him. "Just so you know, if you'd found your way back here without the company of Alfred or myself, your greeting would be far less… amicable."

The teen just shrugged, still petting the dogs. "You might think that. Animals just seem to naturally like me."

Bruce chuckled once more. "That may well be. However, these animals are bred and trained specifically to attack _anyone_ who gets on the grounds without a… proper introduction."

Alfred cut in, noticing the mounting tension in the boy and the slight glare on his face. The dogs had noticed it, too, dealing with it by being even more fervent in their attention on the teen. "You must understand, Master Fenton. One of our beliefs is that we should be professional to everyone—"

"But not naive," Bruce finished. "These dogs follow that creed. They're friendly now, but, like all animals, they sense mood changes _much_ better than most people. If things were to turn sour between you and either of us…."

"They'll attack with the intent to kill," Danny said bluntly, "I know."

There was a slight pause before Bruce nodded. "Exactly. While I wouldn't want anyone to come to any undue harm, this doesn't mean that my doors are perpetually open to anyone, anytime."

Alfred could still feel the tension. After another moment of hesitation, he stated, "I believe I'll go check on the garden, sir."

"Very well, Alfred."

As the butler walked away, Danny continued to pet the dogs, ignoring Bruce for the most part.

Bruce looked down to the dogs, realizing just how happy they were with their new friend. Then, he laid a hand on Danny's shoulder.

The boy spun, grabbing Bruce by the wrist and snarling at him, "_What?!_"

The billionaire raised his free hand in a surrendering pose. "My apologies. My curiosity got the better of me, I'm afraid."

Danny's eye was twitching slightly, the dogs starting to raise their hackles at the obvious anxiety in the air, their eyes bouncing between the two humans as if unsure which to side with. "Curiosity about _what_, exactly?" the boy demanded.

Bruce smiled. "Why, your reflexes, of course. Believe it or don't, but I confess that I see something of myself in you." But then, his eyes darkened some, glancing off to the side as he thought back over his past. "I wasn't _always_ a benevolent affluent…."

But Danny just glared. "Good for you."

The billionaire blinked himself back to the present, softening a bit. "Again, my apologies. I'll… give you a moment with the dogs." Then, he walked out of the room.

Danny waited until he was gone, then sighed and turned back to the dogs. "...Least _he_ knows how to back off…." he murmured.

The dogs whined a bit, then one jumped, knocking Danny over as they all came over to lick at his face, effectively making the boy laugh.

**7****3|_|5' |)!(3**

A/N: Okay, there we go. Enjoy, everyone, and I'll try to get the next one up sooner, but I can't make any promises here with school and work. Anyway, read and review, please!


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